Excerpt: It turns out that some of the conventional wisdom about American presidential politics still applies As the primary season went on, Donald Trump’s remarkable success led Republican politicians and media alike to conclude that the old political “rulebook” had been rewritten. Experience, television ads, and retail campaigning were no longer necessary. Outlandish boasts and off-color language led to Trump’s rallies being broadcast live on cable news, and that was the only campaign tool he needed. Since the convention, however, Trump has struggled mightily, suggesting that some of the old rules of American politics still very much apply.